KTVZ
Washington, DC – Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., lead sponsor of the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act, released the following statement last Monday marking the four-year anniversary of the signing of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. The Lautenberg Act gave the Environmental Protection Agency the power to ban asbestos and required the EPA to have completed its review of asbestos by today’s date—but neither a ban nor a final review have been completed.
Bloomberg
by Pat Rizzuto
Washington, DC – The EPA’s analysis of asbestos underestimates the extent to which people are exposed to the mineral and its potential to cause cancer and other diseases, an agency science advisory panel said. “Most exposures are not being captured,” said Henry Anderson, a retired physician serving on the EPA’s Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals, which was critiquing the Environmental Protection Agency’s draft evaluation of asbestos’ risks throughout a June 8-11 meeting.
For the full article, please click here.
National – On June 8-11, 2020, EPA will hold a public virtual meeting of the TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals on the draft risk evaluation of asbestos (originally scheduled for April 27-30, 2020). The agency will use the scientific advice, information, and recommendations from the SACC, as well as public comments, to inform the final risk evaluation. The meeting will be virtual (conducted on the phone and webcast only) and will include closed captioning.
Click here for meeting information and to review the Draft Risk Evaluation.
ADAO
Washington, DC – The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization hosted a press conference on Thursday, featuring a panel of experts, including EIA Managing Director Brent Kynoch, to discuss the exclusions in EPA’s Draft Asbestos Risk Evaluation that will keep Americans at severe risk of deadly exposure to asbestos. The panel also featured Dr. Arthur Frank, Dr. Richard Lemon, Dr. Celeste Monforton, and others. For the full article, click here.
To view the panel’s comments in their entirity visit their Facebook page
National – On June 8-11, 2020, EPA will hold a public virtual meeting of the TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals on the draft risk evaluation of asbestos (originally scheduled for April 27-30, 2020). The agency will use the scientific advice, information, and recommendations from the SACC, as well as public comments, to inform the final risk evaluation. The meeting will be virtual (conducted on the phone and webcast only). All written comments received by June 2 will be provided to the SACC for their review prior to the meeting. Registration to provide oral public comments during the SACC meeting is being accepted until noon, June 2.
Washington, DC – OSHA recently issued a compliance directive designed to ensure uniformity in inspection and enforcement procedures when addressing respirable crystalline silica exposures in general industry, maritime, and construction. The new directive provides OSHA compliance safety and health officers with guidance on how to enforce the silica standards’ requirements. The directive also provides clarity on major topics, such as alternative exposure control methods when a construction employer does not fully and properly implement Table 1, variability in sampling, multi-employer situations, and temporary workers.
EPA
Washington, DC – Businesses and others that suspended environmental monitoring and reporting during the Coronavirus pandemic should plan to resume those activities as of September 1, 2020. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced recently that its temporary policy regarding the exercise of enforcement discretion during the COVID?19 public health emergency will end on August 31, 2020.
EHS Daily Advisor
by Guy Burdick
National – Exceptions from respiratory protection regulations allowing the use of surgical masks only apply to healthcare facilities and emergency medical services, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminded employers. Other employers must provide respirators, the agency explained in guidance discussing the differences among cloth face coverings, surgical masks, and respirators.
Forbes
by Sasha Wedekind
National – While people spend 90% of their time inside, indoor air quality has not been a large focus of attention for facilities management and tenants until recently. The coronavirus outbreak is bringing indoor air quality into the spotlight as hospitals work to mitigate the spread of disease and offices, retail, and education facilities are considering strategies to reopen safely and minimize infection.
Safety and Health Magazine
National – OSHA in-person checks of construction sites have fallen to about 16% of pre-coronavirus inspection levels, as the agency focuses on virus hazards in the health-care industry, agency data shows. In the first week of March, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted about 395 construction inspections. During the week of April 26, there were about 65 inspections. Construction work has continued across the nation, despite stay-at-home orders, because the federal government considers it an essential industry. While 975,000 construction workers became unemployed in April, there were still 6.6 million people employed by builders, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.